The Book of Night Women (24 page)

 

 

The mistress still in bed,
but Dulcimena say that is nothing out of keeping with how the mistress usually behave. Unless guests come calling or she go on visit or go to town to visit the good stores.

—Miss Isobel don’t take luncheon here? Lilith ask.

—Excuse me please? Most time she don’t even take breakfast. But you should know dat better dan me.

—What you mean, Dulcey?

—What me mean? Come now, pickney. No Montpelier she head off to as soon as cock crow? Or town or Morant Bay or God-he-knows? White woman do as she please in de colony.

 

 

Miss Isobel take supper
in her room and ask for Lilith to serve it to her. Neither woman say nothing. As she getting ready for bed, Miss Isobel do her toilette, then sit at the mirror for Lilith to brush her hair.

—Eh-eh! A new dress this? Miss Isobel say. Lilith thinking she don’t hear correct.

—I mean, is this from Maman? The dress, girl.

—No, mistress, Dulcimena loan me.

—Really? Can’t imagine Maman having that at all. She will get you a new dress before the week is out. Coulibre niggers are the best dressed in Jamaica.

Lilith commence to brush Miss Isobel hair. She look up and see Miss Isobel staring at her hard in the mirror.

—Do you know what I admire in you niggerwomen?

Lilith don’t say nothing.

—I do believe I’m speaking to you, Lilith.

—Yes, ma’am.

—Then speak when you’re bloody spoken to.

—Yes, ma’am.

—I said, there is one thing I admire in you niggerwomen.

—Yes, ma’am.

—That good, trusty nigger resilience. I dare say you blackies could survive Armageddon with no loss of life or limb. God must be wise in giving every living thing just what it needs. I mean, look at you. Why are you here? You tried to use the mind, the brain, but you silly girl, those things are lost to the negro. What you have is a back that won’t break, a skin that won’t crack, legs like an ox and teeth like a horse. How fortunate you are that we found each other, Lilith!

—Yes, ma’am.

—All you Montpelier niggers, gallivanting like goats. This is Humphrey’s influence, of course. Actually not him, but that beast from which he takes counsel. What think you of that man, that Robert Quinn?

—Ma’am?

—Robert Quinn. What do you think of him?

—Me don’t have no thinking towards him, ma’am.

—Well, personally I must say I find him loathsome, absolutely loathsome. What should one expect from the Irish but the very worst? And quite the nigger lover, is he not? Lilith, I’m sure you’re well-versed in the black arts, what magic does that stump of a man have over Humphrey?

—Ma’am?

—I swear, you are tiresome. Look at those bull shoulders and thick hands of his, trying to squeeze himself into a gentleman’s wardrobe. And that silly navy coat of his, he probably bought in some fish market at Port Royal. Athena tells me that the brute doesn’t even wear an undergarment! Can you believe that? Mr. Quinn and his Irishman lobbing to and fro in his detestable breeches.

Lilith think to say that neither do Massa Humphrey, for the most part, but keep silent.

—Yes, ma’am, she say.

—Me no kno—I, I don’t know what’s to come of that estate without some sense brought to it. It’s little more than a stable now. The only ray of hope is Homer. Of course, she’s clearly practicing Obeah.

—Yes, ma’am.

—I’m quite the Creole myself. I know some of the darker aspects of colonial life.

—Yes, ma’am.

—Yes, Montpelier needs quite a bit of work, it does. But soon things shall flow as smoothly as Coulibre. But first we have to deal with his ghastly maman. I swear, she swooped down to luncheon only this afternoon reeking of wee and asking for Lady Nugent! The governor’s wife! Of course, I feel so terrible for Humphrey. I told him, you know, of places in Spanish Town, for a woman in her state, but, he will not part with his maman and I shall take that as a good sign. Is that wise, Lilith? Am I being prudent?

—Yes, ma’am.

—Yes, ma’am. You is a damn fool. And yet there is something in you, isn’t there? Must be those ghastly eyes of yours, I swear, it is as if I’m being watched by an owl. Any more brushing and you shall pull my hair out. Leave me now.

—Yes, ma’am.

Lilith hear Miss Isobel brother in the room as she pass. He not sleeping, even though Matraca begging him to. At every five pace or so, there be a lamp burnin’ on the wall and a large circle of orange, and yet the passageway and the stairs still dark. Lilith at the bottom of the stairs looking up at stone. She walk to the kitchen. She come through the door and see Dulcimena hoist up on the counter, with her legs spread gone to two county and her dress pull up over her titties. Between her be Massa Roget, who white wig fall off as Dulcimena rubbing him head. The massa breeches down to him ankle and him arse peeking out of him coattails. Lilith hearing sweaty white flesh slapping sweaty black flesh and grunting and moaning. Soon she notice Dulcimena looking at her. Her mouth all hissing and moaning and cooing and catching breath, but her eyes near gone to sleep. Then Massa Roget push her away from him and lose control of himself. Dulcimena looking at Lilith. Lilith think she smile but not sure. Massa Roget jerking slowing down. He pull up back him breeches and grab Dulcimena by the neck. She say nothing. He let go and leave Dulcimena, walking right past Lilith but not looking at her. Dulcimena, her two leg still spread wide, use her dress to wipe Massa Roget off. She hop off the counter and set herself down on her mat and go to sleep.

One day Sacco, a young nigger who take to leaving flowers in the kitchen whenever he see Lilith, carry a bunch of pink hibiscus to the mistress’ room. He leave one on the counter beside Lilith and she hide her smile. Sacco pick a whole branch and carry up to the mistress’ room. The mistress don’t take too kindly to some flower and sneeze and cough something dreadful. She wheeze and sneeze and run down to the living room yelling and screaming that Sacco trying to kill her. The other two negro run Sacco down, tear off all him clothes, tie him up and leave him hanging round by the stable in the hot sun, so that Massa Roget would see him first when he come back. But that not be enough for Mistress Roget. The mens go in the kitchen and take Dulcimena honey jar. Dulcimena sit down and bury her face in her hand. Lilith go to see what going happen but Dulcimena grab her hand and shake her head no. Lilith pull her hand free and go outside while Dulcimena go back to head burying. Lilith hear Sacco screaming. She run to the stable to see honey on Sacco nakedness from head to foot. Sacco bawling and screaming so much that other nigger get a cloth and gag him. Afternoon sun still hot. Lilith almost vomit. She run back inside. The other niggermens go back to what they was doing. Soon Sacco muffle scream get as loud as a real scream. After nearly a hour of cutting up carrots and potato and being interrupt every time he yell into the gag, she go outside again, not listening to Dulcimena shout, No, Lilith!

At the stable Lilith stop and couldn’t move for a spell. There be Sacco, writhing and shaking and yelling into the gag, him feet, back, chest and cocky all cover in black ants. They traveling all over him body and biting every inch. Lilith think to run first, but stop. Lilith run to the horse trough and dip the bucket nearby in water and wash him from head to toe with it. She run to the trough for another bucket full and wash him again, rubbing him skin and feeling the welt rising from ants biting. She cuss her mind for noticing too much that she touching a naked man and rubbing some places that another Lilith wouldn’t touch. Some of the ants break off him and bite her. She slap them off and look at Sacco. Lilith hear of this before. Honey on the skin, ants in the day, mosquito in the night. When he finally wash full the other niggermens come back. They look at Lilith with the same wide-eye fear that they do the massa. The two mens run away. Lilith furious.

—Little pussy like me still have bigger cock than the two of them, she say. She pull the gag out of Sacco mouth.

—What you gonna do, Miss Lilith? You and me, we’s dead now, he say.

The whole night Lilith in the kitchen but elsewhere.
Dem cum was all over you
, a voice say to her and Lilith jump. She turn around but there be nobody but her. Lilith take a candle out of the cupboard and light it with a stick of wood in the fire. As she set the candle down on the table, she look around at the orange walls and the black shadows jumping. A shadow move away from the others and go into a dark corner. Lilith have a start but catch her mouth. The woman again. The woman who belong to darkness. Lilith go to run but feel the weakness that been taking over her of late. She try to think of something Homer would say, or the womens by the river. The woman don’t move. Lilith move backways into the table and grab a knife.

—What you doing? Dulcimena say as she enter the kitchen.

—Nothing, me not doing nothing.

—Maybe not to me, but dat knife out for somebody.

—No.

—Suit yourself. Next thing you start chat like dem mad nigger.

It take two day for Lilith to see that Sacco gone, and one whole week to see that he not coming back.

17

LILITH LIVING AT COULIBRE FOR THREE FORTNIGHT NOW. When she not working in the kitchen, washing, baking, and feeding the little animals, she waiting on Miss Isobel when she come home every night.

—We are to be married, your master and I, she say one evening when Lilith by the dresser brushing Miss Isobel hair. Miss Isobel look at Lilith through the looking glass when she say it. Lilith say, Yes, ma’am, and that be all. Miss Isobel screw her face.

—Did you hear me? Your master has asked for my hand in marriage, she say.

—Yes, ma’am.

—Well, are you pleased?

—Pleased, ma’am?

—Yes. Are you happy?

—Me sure everything is the lord will, ma’am.

—I’m sure. Don’t pull me goddamn hair so tight, cain’t you do nothing right?

—Sorry, ma’am.

—Good heaven, just listen to me. I should be the one apologising. Goddamn indeed, where is my tongue this evening? I’m too much in the company of negroes, yes I am. Way too much. You have all but ruined me with your nigger ways. But anyway I’m very pleased, Lilith. I’ve heard reports that you’ve become quite the well-behaved little nigger. Maman is putting in a good word and she’s so difficult to please. And my, how you have taken over Dulcimena’s tasks. So easy as well, that it’s as if that poor negro was still here, Miss Isobel say.

Lilith think hard ’bout this. One fortnight ago, Massa and Mistress Roget kill Dulcimena. It start when Lilith hear commotion up in the massa and mistress bedroom. How dare you come in here stinking of that damn nigger’s sweat, the mistress say. Lilith look over to see if Dulcimena hear it too but she just roll over. One door open and slam and then another door open and slam and that was it for that night. But then morning come and it look like Dulcimena forget to lock the goat pen from the night before. The goats let loose in Mistress Roget garden and eat nearly every flower in sight. When the mistress wake up and look outside her window, she scream like somebody killing her. She run outside in nightclothes to the garden and still screaming. She try to shoo the goats from the flowers but they just run from one plant to the next.

—Dulcimena! the mistress bawl out.

—Dulcimena!

Dulcimena run out from the kitchen to see two niggermens shooing the goats back to the pen. The mistress yell to the two mens to grab Dulcimena and forget the goats. They rip off her dress right there and Dulcimena start to bawl. They drag her off to the nearest tree and tie her up by the hand and pull her up till she swinging. Dulcimena begging for the massa to save her but Massa Roget ride right past her to go to Kingston.

The mistress wield the cart whip herself. Lilith always hear she do such a thing but never see for herself before. She flog Dulcimena as hard as she could flog, swinging the whip wide and lashing Dulcimena back till the skin tear into flesh and the flesh tear into blood. The mistress get tired and rest for a few. Nobody beg for Dulcimena. Every time the mistress get tired, she sit down for a spell and have the new grounds nigger whip her till she ready to flog her again. Dulcimena get one hundred sixty-six lash that day and the mistress say she would have derby-dose her too if any of the negroes was setting to pass shit. When they cut Dulcimena down, she fall hard on the ground and never move. Dulcimena scream right through the night and Lilith didn’t have nothing but water to wipe her. Lilith have to gag her when the massa shout out that he was coming down there with a musket if she don’t shut up.

Dulcimena never get up from the floor again, even after the massa walk in and kick her two time in the side and one time in the pussy and call her a lazy, lying cow. Lilith try to help her, but Dulcimena didn’t want to help herself no more. In days she swell and swell with so much pus and water that she just burst and dead. As soon as Dulcey dead, all her duty fall on Lilith.

That be when Lilith starting to see that while she frighten, fear would rush out like sea tide and something else would roll in. Something that make her cook with the devil in her heart. Lilith did still have spiritedness ’bout her, but this time she keep quiet and make the spirit work secret-like. Lilith start to imagine what white flesh look like after a whipping. What white neck look like after a hanging and what kinda scar leave on a white body after black punishment. She think of the little Roget boy, Master Henri, of tying and hanging the boy up by him little balls and chopping him head off. She make the thoughts of white blood work into a fever. She have to snap herself out of it before she cut her own fingers with the kitchen knife. She think of these Coulibre niggers who loyal to the massa and work against each other even though he killing them off one by one, and she think of Massa Humphrey and of blood and what sound a white body make when he fall from fifty feet.